It is not at all unusual to have trouble conceiving. It seems like such an easy and natural thing to do, but the reality is that most people have difficulty getting pregnant. There are fertility windows to understand and even your lifestyle can play a part in your inability to conceive. 

This makes it difficult to know if you need to go to a fertility clinic to see if there are serious issues or if this is just a temporary thing. Luckily, if you aren’t able to conceive due to infertility there are options like getting in vitro fertilization or even surrogate parenting. 

In this article, we will go over some of the things to know if you are having trouble conceiving so you can determine if a consultation with a fertility clinic is necessary. 

If You Are Under 35 With No Known Health Issues

Chances are that if you fall into this category and have been trying for less than a year you will eventually get pregnant. If it is less than a year then you should first try to change a few things in your life and wait a year to see what happens. 

For instance, you may simply be timing things wrong. There is actually a very short fertility window during which time you are physically able to get pregnant. It occurs 14 days after you last started ovulating and only lasts for about 24 to 48 hours from that moment. 

The problem is that many women often don’t menstruate exactly 28 days after the last time. The window is always shifting in other words. Use an ovulation prediction kit to improve your chances of conceiving.

You should also make some lifestyle changes since you could be hurting your chances of getting pregnant by doing things like smoking and drinking too much. Smokers often have fertility problems since it can damage their sperm and eggs. 

Quit smoking, limit yourself to two or three drinks per week and get plenty of rest if you are having difficulty. 

Over 35 

Once a woman hits 35, pregnancy can become more difficult. That isn’t to say that there should be some expectation of problems, it’s just that the risk is higher. At this age, the egg supply decreases and this could be a problem. 

Then, once a woman hits 40 not only is there a decrease in the number of eggs, but the quality also decreases. This makes it even more difficult to get pregnant. There is also a higher risk of miscarriage. 

If you are over 35 or over 40 and it has been more than a year since you started trying to get pregnant then this could signal a problem. If there are also health issues involved then it is a good idea to go for a consultation. 

Thyroid and Weight Problems

The thyroid gland is responsible for a lot of vital hormone production for women. If you have known thyroid issues and are having trouble getting pregnant it is likely that it isn’t a coincidence. 

If you also have weight problems either due to the thyroid or for other reasons then this also affects your ability to get pregnant. This means that if your body mass is too low, say under 18, or is too high, say over 30, then this is going to play a big role in your reproductive health. 

If you don’t have enough body fat then there isn’t enough for estrogen to travel around your body. Likewise, if you have too much body fat the estrogen essentially gets diluted and can’t serve its function. 

These issues are solvable and you may not need to go through IVF, but consulting your OB/GYN may help you resolve them. They will also let you know if they think your issues are a result of your thyroid or weight problems or if they believe them to be fertility issues that are less likely to be resolved by fixing them. 

Other Known Reproductive Issues

If you don’t fit into those other categories but know that you have issues such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), then you are likely going to need to go through the IVF process. If you are having trouble getting pregnant with either of these two issues then there is no need to wait for improvement. You are going to need a consultation right away as waiting can make things more difficult.